CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Reports Trump Was ‘Borderline Enthusiastic’ Watching Mob of Supporters Storm, Ransack Capitol
President Donald Trump put out a video — after his supporters had stormed the Capitol as part of a massive violent riot — telling people to be peaceful and go home (though the video started out with the same lies about a stolen election that riled them up in the first place).
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reported Wednesday night on how the president was really feeling behind closed doors while watching all this unfold.
Collins told Don Lemon early on Thursday morning that more resignations are coming, including possibly from National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien. (Deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger, who Collins said was also considering resigning, has since resigned.)
She went on to detail how people in the White House were “shaken” by the president’s response to the violence:
“He did not come out outright and condemn it. Actually, they had to convince him to send in the National Guard. He was very resistant to that at the beginning. And I’m told by one person that he was borderline enthusiastic over watching people wearing his sweatshirts, waving his flags going up to Capitol Hill and derailing the certification process, which is what the president wanted his Republican lawmaker allies do to.
“He was fine with what was happening earlier today on Capitol Hill, according to multiple people who have spoken with the president today who have described him as manic and other things, just talking about this reaction that they just do not believe that is normal,” she added.
New York Times correspondent Maggie Haberman piggybacks on Collins with her own reporting, on Twitter: “Many aides believed Trump was pleased by what he was seeing on TV at the Capitol, as he repeatedly refused requests to get him to say something clearly rejecting the violence.”
Not in this piece but to add to @kaitlancollins reporting, many aides believed Trump was pleased by what he was seeing on TV at the Capitol, as he repeatedly refused requests to get him to say something clearly rejecting the violence. https://t.co/1QsJ9ES0yh
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 7, 2021
You can watch above, via CNN.
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